Trials of the Cherry Blossom
by themissingsock
Summary: NOT MY ORIGINAL IDEA. Sakura finds herself in the midst of the Akatsuki due to a custody hearing between her mother and her father, who turns out to be the Akatsuki leader. Will she choose to stay? Or will she try to find a way home?
1. Odd

Yeah so I'm lame shut up go die.

The following fic is based off of this fic, and this Gaia Online Roleplay, with it. I have no individual creativity. Blah blah blah nyeh.

So by now you get that I don't own the ideas behind the fic, nor do I own Naruto. Just my way of spinning it off, that's all.

DO NOT complain about length in your reviews. I know some things are going to be short. This chapter, for example, will serve as an intro. It is NOT going to be novel length.

* * *

_**One: Odd.**_

The sun was slowly inching across the noon sky, passing time as it did so. The heat of the desert had become near inescapable; only those who knew the curves and crevices of the plateaus could even have a chance of finding slight relief, considering the aid of straw hats and a good supply of water. Two straw hats, coincidentally, could be found in a particularly large area of the plateau, sitting idly beneath the awning of rock. One sat tall, apparently fiddling with his hands, the other sat hunched a few feet away; he seemed considerably larger than the average human. They were wise in wearing sunshields hanging from their hats, but seemed a bit out of minds to wear such large black cloaks…Odd.

It seemed a serene place, quiet and withdrawn in all it's natural and amazing—

**BANG.**

Odd. The taller of the two had moved, releasing his hands dramatically to let a small, unknown object seemingly fly out from his palms. After the loud but confined explosion, the taller's hands had disappeared into a pair of gray zipper bags. The hunched one only moved to turn his head.

"Why must you always make such a ruckus?" The voice was male.

"Art is a bang. Un." The taller one said, taking a small amount of clay into his hand. It appeared there was a large amount of clay stored in each of the bags. Odd. The clay in the taller's hands disappeared. At close observation, taking into consideration that anyone getting close to these two was a wild risk taker, or just stupid, it could be seen that there were two, chewing mouths in the palms of the taller one's hands.

"What you call art is only destruction. Art should last forever."

"I do believe you are wrong, Sasori-danna. The art is in the destruction of the beauty. The loss of something longed. The _explosion._ Un."

"Deidara, you twit." Sasori was on his way to a string of well worded insults from the bowels of his vocabulary when a loud 'Shush' interrupted him. He grunted angrily.

"They're here." Deidara said, standing slowly. Sasori couldn't care less, really. What made the situation odd was that clinking noises could suddenly be heard…coming from his body?

Deidara walked into the sun, his hat doing a fine job of shielding his eyes. It didn't matter much, though. As he approached the visitors, he entered a cast shadow large enough to engulf the front of a house. Zetsu stood before him, blocking out the sun. Kisame stood almost pathetically at his side. Behind them not much could be seen, but a small amount of pink hair could be found, more than apparently shaking. Zetsu was the first to speak.

"You know of your duties?" Deidara nodded. "Does Sasori-san?" The pink hair stopped moving. Odd.

"I know of them, yes." Sasori answered indifferently.

"Good. We will inform Leader-sama that all is well." The tall, half black half white man blinked his yellow eyes, just narrowly entering Deidara's field of vision a tooth of his large fly-trap like head.

Kisame shifted his weight. "Keep careful watch," he nodded his head backward toward the now frozen mass of pink hair. "She likes to try running away." The three let the air hang silent for a moment, thick with heat. They soon nodded, allowing Zetsu and Kisame to disappear. This left a girl standing in silent awe. Her short pink hair was tied back with a red Konoha forehead protector, showing a tall forehead. Her pale legs shook under her white skirt, and her gloved hands fiddled wildly in front of her magenta-adorned midriff.

Deidara could only manage a grin and the raising of his right hand. "Yo." A tongue, long and drenched in saliva mixed with clay oozed it's way out of the palm of Deidara's hand. The girl stepped back in awe. Sasori looked up, making the girl's head jerk in his direction. Her eyes narrowed.

"You're supposed to be dead." She said, staring intently at Sasori. Odd.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sakura-chan." Sasori said, finally moving slightly. It wasn't a move worth noticing, just one to state his presence, really. "But I have ways of preserving my life that you can't even begin to imagine."

Deidara stood in awe. Apparently these two had met before? Odd. It then struck him. "Ooooh! Sasori-danna! This is…Ooooh!" He broke into a roar of laughter. "This small girl? Defeated you, Sasori-danna? And here I was under the impression that you were more powerful than me. Un."

Sasori glared. "Shall we go to your chamber, then?" His words were sharp; heavy.

"Yes, a good idea." Deidara put his hand on Sakura's back, pushing her towards the unnaturally large curve in the plateau. He could feel her shiver under his hand and, figuring it had something to do with the mouth, made sure it stayed tightly closed, if not clenched together uncomfortably. Despite being a member of an S-Rank Terrorist cell, there was a heart somewhere deep in the sculptor. Just very, very hard to find.

The three began walking. Straight at a rock. A very solid, hard, immovable rock. Sakura felt her heart race. These people were truly mad! Walking directly into a solid substance! It seemed like she was just about to collide face first into the mass of rough sediment when Deidara's free hand moved in front of his face and the rock slid away to the sides, creating a wide doorway for the three of them to enter. Odd. They entered quickly, the rock sliding back into place as they made contact with the smooth wooden floor just beyond.

Deidara's hand, despite being unseen in the absolute darkness, remained up, and in a matter of seconds the entire hallway was filled with lit torches. It was this fact, however, that made Sakura the most uneasy. There was what looked to be miles of hallway ahead of her, and at every glance there was an intersecting hall filled with doors, and even some more intersecting halls every once in a while. She couldn't stop her mouth before she asked, "How can anyone get around in this place?"

"Very, very carefully. Un." Deidara said slyly.

"The Akatsuki have special signs on each of the hallways they actually use." Sakura's hopes skyrocketed. This could mean her escape! "Special signs that the untrained eye would not be able to notice." Her hopes fell into the red.

"In other words, don't try to escape. Un." Deidara added with a slight cackle. This caused another shiver.

The two led the girl through countless hallways, all looking to be the same and all looking as if they'd walked in circles. It wasn't long before Sakura had given up trying to memorize which turn was taken where. Finally, after a walk long enough to tire out even Naruto's spirits, they reached a highly elaborate door. Or pair of doors, more specifically. Carved in the center of the two doors was a large Sakura blossom, rightfully titling the soon to be contents.

Upon the opening of the two doors, a girl's wonderland was found. The ceiling was high and the walls were hidden behind flowing wine-red drapes. There were cushions everywhere, and behind a rather massive pile of them was a large, cloud-like bed.

There was a large three-mirror vanity taking up most of the back wall, and it was adorned with every makeup and accessory a girl could dream of. Along the opposite wall was a large closet, filled with casual clothing, embroidered kimonos, and a few hopeful Akatsuki cloaks lining the back. There were flowers everywhere of all different shapes and colors, and a large bathroom was to the left of the bed.

"My, would you look at that. Un." Deidara stared in the room, grinning. It wasn't long before he was trying out the bounciness of a pile of cushions near the closet. Sasori, on the other hand, found himself leaning against the wall next to the now closed door. "Leader-sama seems to have gone all out. Un."

"No dolls? I'm surprised." Sasori said, keeping his eyes on Sakura.

"This coming from a man who plays with puppets all day?" Deidara giggled, playfully silencing himself when Sasori's flaming glare landed on him.

Sakura found herself laughing inside, and had quite the fight on her hands to seem indifferent outwardly. It was ironic that a puppet master would be mocking a girl's lack of dolls. But if she were to even slightly act comfortable with the situation they could become too aware of her presence and, in the event of her escape, actually try to get her back.

These were fruitless thoughts, however. She was now in the custody of her father, their so called "Leader-sama". She hadn't realized it, but up until her 14th birthday her parents had been struggling over a custody hearing. A whole year later they finally received the hearing date, and a few months after that she found herself here. It was highly doubtful that her father would so easily let her escape after at least 12 years of debate between her families.

* * *

Told you it'd be short. 


	2. Repercussions

This chapter isn't going to have much input from Sakura, Sasori, or Deidara. Much less any other Akatsuki member (or captive). In fact, the only Sakura…anything you'll see until the next chapter is just below this author's note. So yeah.

* * *

_**Two: Repercussions**_

It wasn't too terrible…The room was nice, the clothes were nice (save for the black cloaks lining the back of her closet), and the newfound sense of superiority wasn't too bad, either. But it was the fact that she was now the centerpiece of a mastermind terrorist cell. What's more was that she'd lived her entire life in Konoha. She'd made friends, had family, a team…Though she couldn't say she was too sad to part with Sai…but Naruto. All those years of treating him like a piece of useless junk? He couldn't possibly want to help someone who held her fist up at everything he said.

* * *

"Where is Sakura!?" The shriek could be heard rumbling even into the forests outside the village. "Why wasn't I told sooner?" 

"Naruto, there was nothing we could do. He won her in a custody battle. How he did that, I'm still not sure, but—"

"You're just giving up? On one of your own? Of Konoha!?"

Tsunade threw her hands onto her desk, shoving herself up from her chair. "You will not speak to me as if I've done nothing!" Naruto silenced himself. "Sakura was my student! My comrade!" Her eyes ran him up and down before settling in his. "I have been busting my ass to get Sakura back! You can't possibly understand how hard I've been trying!" She couldn't stop herself before the words escaped.

Naruto's shocked expression quickly morphed into one of repressed anger. One of an enclosed sadness releasable only by words like those Tsunade just used.

"Naruto, I--"

"No, no." He threw up his hands, closing his eyes and shaking his head. A mock defeat. He turned his back to leave. "I totally understand. Two years? Just not good enough." He opened the door to leave. "Sory to have wasted your time." The door slammed hard enough that the rest of the room shook with it.

Tsunade stood in awe of the situation for a moment before falling back into her chair. She placed her hand over her mouth and stared blankly, fearing the worst for Naruto. Shizune only inched toward her, worried of speaking. Finally she gained control of her vocal chords. "Tsunade-hime?" She readjusted her hold on Tonton. "Is everything going to be alright? With Naruto-kun, I mean?"

Tsunade didn't answer for quite some time. "I'll be sure he's under careful watch. In case of emergency." Shizune nodded. "Go inform Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Iruka. They'll be taking shifts."

* * *

The Kaze-kage's office was packed. Chuunin after Jounin after ANBU after Chuunin and so on crowded through the door, trying to reach the desk at which Gaara sat.

"The Akatsuki must have a plan!" One yelled, waving a stack of papers; no doubt his ideas and plans on what their actions should be.

"We have to be extremely cautious with our movements!" A woman was doing exactly the same. She, however, was considerably shorter, and no doubt suffered from a severe case of Napoleon syndrome. This was proven, in fact, when a taller man tried to step in front of her. Somehow, he ended up hunched against the back wall…

"The whole of Sunagakure is needed!" A good portion of Genin said. A Jounin herded them out shortly after, unsure as to why they were even present or what kind of crazy game they were playing.

"Silence." The reserved voice, no doubt quieter than the commotion, managed to bring all present to attention. "Where are Temari-san and Kankurou-kun?" He asked, only so casually looking up from his desk.

"They're out training." A lone ANBU spoke up quickly. "We're in the process of tracking them now." The crowd split to reveal the dog-faced operative.

"Get them here immediately. Waste no time." All ANBU present nodded, then vanished. The remaining nin looked back to their superior, waiting on their orders diligently. "The rest of you, split into four teams of seven." They all nodded. "As soon as that's done, designate which two teams will stay here in case of attack. The other two will travel to Konoha to aid in the return of the Hokage's apprentice." They all nodded again, then vanished (of course, their disappearances were less graceful than those of the ANBU ops; Gaara never did have a liking for that damned smoke).

It wasn't more than five minutes before Kankurou and Temari came bursting through the door.

"Something wrong, Gaara-sama?" Temari asked, bowling over her oldest brother to approach her youngest. "The ANBU said it was urgent." Kankurou sighed, having at least hoped to get that part in.

"Haruno-san, of Naruto-kun's team," This got their attention. "Was just recently relocated to the Akatsuki headquarters." He watched as his older siblings' expressions fought to hide their feelings. Despite having become such good friends with the Konoha rookies, it was against protocol to show it.

"You mean she was kidnapped?" Kankurou mentally applauded himself for beating Temari to the punch.

"Unfortunately, it's a bit more unusual than that." Their expressions were now allowed to change, only because they were confused. "In Hokage-sama's message, it says that the Akatsuki's leader…is her biological father." The two shivered. Just the thought of…ew. "He somehow came up with irreprehensible proof that he was a more suitable parent than her mother."

Temari puzzled over this for a moment. "Then…there really isn't anything we, or anyone, can do. I really hate to say it, but we're powerless." Gaara shook his head.

"We believe the Akatsuki may be planning something." He stood, moving around his desk. "We're going to prove it."

* * *

Naruto raged through the streets. He passed Jiraiya, who offered to take him training for the day, he passed Iruka even along with the offer of ramen, and he passed Kakashi's lame 'yo'. He passed Hinata (though it can't really be considered passing if the person to be passed runs away), he passed Shikamaru who, noticing his anger, moved to the other side of the street, and he passed other nin of the original Rookie Nine.

"Two years. Two damn years." He shook his head. "And she think's _she's_ busting _her_ ass?"

He started stomping (though he wasn't aware of it, really), leaving deep footprints in the ground behind him. The back of his throat grew sore seemed to clench in upon itself. He wouldn't admit it if it were pointed out, but he was holding back tears. He watched the ground a few feet ahead of him, not paying any attention to where he was going. People fanned around him because of this. That, and they didn't want to bump into such an angry ninja.

He walked along, mumbling and huffing and doing all the things that usually lead to him calming down, when suddenly he bumped into something. Someone, more like. He looked up, growled an, "Excuse me," then moved around the still motionless figure to continue walking.

A good five feet ahead he froze. The tears he'd worked so hard to suppress welled in his eyes and fell like waterfalls, their streams completely unbroken, even by the roughness of his skin. He took a moment before he turned back around, staring blankly at the back of the person he'd bumped into. They had yet to move from their spot in the street.

Naruto took a deep breath. The remaining pain in his throat didn't will him to, but he did anyway. He spoke one word, and only one word.

"Sasuke…"

* * *

Yay for more shortness.

**Aurora Marija: **Thanks so much, I'm glad you like it. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, though. It's a very good story, and that's the reason I wrote a fan-fic about it. Not because I thought I could be better than you, just to see how my own ideas would work in conjunction with it. So don't stop writing it, please. It was your idea in the first place.


	3. Strange

Hey guys, guess what? I'm going to cut out a good portion of the original Shippuden!

Why? Because I can! HA! So pretend the whole "OMG TEAM KAKASHI (and Sai) RAN INTO SASUKE! HOLY SHIT!" thing never happened.

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**_Three: Strange_**

The Uchiha prodigy turned to face the blonde. He looked almost exactly the same as the last time Naruto had seen him (though he was considerably taller). He was wearing traditional sound village clothing; a large, baggy sleeved tunic with an open chest, a katana at his back. Around his waist was an overly exaggerated purple rope, and under that was what seemed to be black cloth used to lessen the tightness of the rope to his skin. Black slacks and sandals were connected at his feet, and a large black cloak hung from the hood over his head down to the hem at his ankles.

"It's been a while, Dobe." The word 'dobe' shook Naruto from his trance.

His expression hardened. "You dare speak as if you've done nothing wrong?" He stared his former teammate directly in the eye. "As if all these years I'd done nothing to get you back? That all the work I'd done was useless!?" Sasuke said nothing. "You dare waltz back here, dressed in your little sound village getup, and act like you betrayed no one?"

"Is it any different than if you had succeeded in retrieving me?"

"Yes, Sasuke, it is different!" Naruto fell into desperation. "You turned your back on me, on Saukra, on Kakashi…on everyone. And now you're so…so…nonchalant about it all?"

"What would I have done had you--"

"That's not the point!" Naruto had by now lunged at Sasuke. Though they had been the same height years ago, Naruto found himself just a few inches under Sasuke. Not that this mattered, because Sasuke now found _himself_ just beside the top of a nearby doorjamb, pinned against the wall and gripping at the hand around his neck. "You betrayed all of Konoha! I will not take that lightly unless you can prove why I should." He hissed, dropping the raven-haired teen after a while.

"Still the same old Dobe." Sasuke said rubbing his throat. To this, he received a swift punch to the face.

"Do not call me that." Shocked black eyes met with stern blue ones. "You have to earn back your respect." Naruto motioned for the other to stand. "And it's going to take quite a while." Sasuke paused before slowly moving to his feet. Once he did, though, he said nothing. Just stared into the eyes of his former teammate. "Why did you come back?"

"I learned of Orochimaru's plan."

"So this was of selfish ideals?" Naruto fought back the urge to punch the taller yet again.

"Of course not." Naruto gave him a look: 'you rotten liar'. "I came back because I realized what wrong I'd done. Instead of finding a way to defeat Itachi, I'd in a way become him."

"Your story keeps changing." Naruto growled.

"It seems to change, but in all honesty there are many reasons I returned. Of both selfish and selfless ideals."

Naruto glared. "I guess I have no choice but to believe you. But one slip up, even one, and I swear to God I'll not rest until you've suffered."

"If I was lying, do you think I'd have let you lay a hand on me?" Naruto knew this was true, but chose not to confirm it. For macho reasons.

"We should go tell Tsunade-baachan."

"Tsunade?"

Naruto took a minor stab at the taller. "If you'd been around you'd have known who she is."

"I know who she is Do—" he stopped himself. "I was under another one of the Sanin. I heard plenty about her." Naruto shot yet another glare. "I just didn't know she was here."

"You talked to Orochimaru so much. I'm surprised it didn't slip." Naruto moved quickly. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the Hokage's office, shooting uncomfortable glances and glares at each other the whole way. People obviously stopped and stared, whispering things like, 'Just like his brother, a complete traitor. We should get inside to safety' and 'I thought Naruto had changed, now he's brought that traitor back…' and things far worse. The door to Tsunade's office was still shut from when he'd slammed it. No one had been allowed in or out, save for Shizune leaving to inform of Naruto's need for a watching eye.

He didn't even knock. Just barged in. Tsunade looked up from her desk quickly, seeing only Naruto thus far. "Naruto, about earlier I--" She stopped when the door was pushed wider. She stared in silent awe at the boy she'd known but never met. He was than she'd seen him in pictures, obviously, but in any other sense he was exactly the same. The hair, the eyes, the face…the astuteness of his features was all the same, just aged. "You're…you're Sasuke…" She stood slowly, taking in the whole of the situation. It wasn't everyday a missing-nin walked into her office, much less one of sane and conscious mind.

"If he really means what he says, he can help us get Sakura back." Sasuke's head snapped in Naruto's direction. "If he's really been training, he's no doubt in good enough shape to face the Akatsuki."

"The Akatsuki!?"

"Don't worry," Naruto said coldly. "She didn't go of her own will. She's not as selfish as you." Sasuke had gotten over his anger now, seeing that Naruto was genuinely hurt. It seemed out of character for the Uchiha boy to be so concerned, but he was swayed by the fact that Naruto felt so strongly about his betrayal.

"Naruto, really, I am sorry. I don't want you to—" Tsunade touched Sasuke's arm quickly so Naruto couldn't see. She shook her head when she could feel the black eyes land on the side of her face. If Sasuke was using the Sharingan, he'd have been able to hear 'Don't even bother right now. Give him time'. She herself wasn't happy with Sasuke, but she wasn't connected enough to him to really have any anger facing his direction. He returned to the situation at hand. "What's going on?"

Tsunade took the opportunity to answer, just in case anything tapped into Naruto's natural (or implanted, more like) bloodlust. "Apparently Sakura's biological father is the leader of the Akatsuki. He won her in a custody battle somehow—Don't ask, I'm confused too," Sasuke's opened mouth closed again. "And we believe she's the centerpiece of a plan they have. We're not sure, but we're looking to find proof."

"Have we already informed Gaara?" Naruto asked, keeping a cool air about him.

"Yes, the Kazekage is on his way." Sasuke's head, yet again, snapped in Naruto's direction.

"You missed quite a bit in your absence." He said dully. "Is he sending anyone?"

"You won't have to worry about that. He is on his way with his siblings, but the rest of his reinforcements are of no concern to you." Naruto rolled his eyes. "All you need to worry about is finding and infiltrating the Akatsuki headquarters. The Akatsuki are very talented nin, so any jutsu you use must be virtually seamless." The both of them rolled their eyes this time, and Tsunade could see why they were such rivals as well as great friends before Sasuke's departure. "Nevertheless, I want you to go in, find Sakura, get her back here, and we'll work with that." Sasuke, despite having been gone, still knew the laws.

"You want us to kidnap her? She's been won in a custody battle, we can't do anything but try to find proof that the leader is unfit as a parent."

"Go change your clothes and I might take your opinion seriously." Sasuke was puzzled. "I won't listen to anyone who even slightly reminds me of my treacherous teammate. It's nothing against you personally. Though Naruto might argue that…" No response from the blonde. "I see what you're saying, but I can't take anything you say lightly while thinking you could still be affiliated with that snake." Sasuke took the hint and stepped outside. He shut the door quietly, then leaned his back up against it to hear what was being said.

"You're letting him just walk away? What if he really is here to terrorize the village again?"

"There would be no point in that. Orochimaru only did that to get his hands on Sasuke."

"But Sasuke could've come back to…" Naruto looked away.

"He could've come back to kill you. To gain the Mangekyo Sharingan." Naruto closed his eyes as if closing them closed his ears.

"I'm not his dearest friend, apparently." He looked back up. "He would've killed me when he left…he wouldn't have left…" There was a heavy silence. Sasuke could almost feel the intensity of Naruto's feelings through the door. There was so much hate…so much grief. It was near unbearable. Sasuke pushed off the door and left, headed toward the Uchiha homes to change his clothes.

* * *

_"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, slamming her fist into the side of the blonde's face. Only, she wasn't Sakura. She was…watching Sakura? "Don't be an idiot!" She—no, Sakura yelled, huffing away towards the darkened figure and their silver-haired sensei. Only, the darkened figure wasn't one she recognized. It wasn't just shrouded in shadows or hidden behind something, it was literally darkened. "At least--------isn't so childish!" No name? The black figure turned to look at Sakura and Naruto. It spoke. Apparently Sakura and Naruto could hear it, and rushed forward to catch up, but she couldn't hear it…the Sakura that was observing couldn't hear anything the darkened figure said._

Two knocks shook her from her reverie. Apparently it was morning, but due to the lack of windows in her room she wasn't aware of this. That and she hadn't slept at all that night. Just imagined. So to her, what she'd just experienced was the longest hour of her life. And, for some reason, Deidara and Sasori had disappeared. She hadn't honestly even noticed that they'd left.

"Sakura-sama? You're still in here, right?" Deidara's head poked in. The two knocks, obviously, were from just him. Thank heavens. Sasori at this early must be horror. At least she got the fun one first. "Didn't try to escape? Un."

"I'm still here, Deidara." She said bluntly. At least she'd gotten used to the superiority thing.

Deidara entered. He figured she'd still be decent; he and Sasori left shortly after she fell into a silent trace. She just stared at the ground before her, saying nothing, and they figured that she'd still be there in the morning. If not, just lost in a tunnel not too far away. He walked over and stood at the foot of the bed. Sakura looked away from him. This, oddly, appealed to his better nature. "I'm not all that terrible, you know. Un."

"No, you just go and kill people for your own selfish needs." Deidara took the honesty in that statement with a nod, then argued his case.

"I could turn that around on you. We just have different beliefs is all. Un."

"Your beliefs entail killing people for your own gain?"

"Your beliefs entail saving even the cruelest of souls from death?" Sakura stared at the blonde in awe. "Had Gaara not tried to kill Sasuke-kun? Had he not tried to kill Naruto-kun? Had he not tried to kill _you_?" She remained silent. "In all honesty, Gaara deserved to die. He was suffering. Un."

"No one deserves to die."

"And that is how our thoughts differ. Though we don't think that people deserve to die, we just believe that all who need to be sacrificed are sacrificed, and those that get in our way die along with them. Un." There really was no point trying to argue beliefs, so Sakura chose to let the discussion end. Deidara, however, didn't see this was a fitting end. "I'm not a terrible person. I've just done things that many people don't agree with is all. I'm only evil by the worlds definition. Un."

Sakura turned and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the opening and slamming of her bedroom door. "Another day, another pointless babysitting job." Sasori grumbled. This time, however, he wasn't in his shell. Just his clothes (the ones worn normally under the Akatsuki cloak) and his puppet body. Deidara also saw it fit to go without the cloak today. They wouldn't be going anywhere, so why bother?

Sakura closed her mouth, planning on holding the thought for later. "Good morning Sasori-danna! Un." Deidara exclaimed, returning to his mischievous self.

"Morning?" Sakura asked, looking around for a clock that wasn't there.

"Yes. Morning. It's been a whole 8 hours since we left you." Sasori said coldly. "I'm sure you'll pass out in about ten, twenty minutes."

"I was up all night?"

"I'd assume so. You're sitting the exact way you were when I saw you last. Un." Sakura finally felt the gripping feeling of tiredness sweep over her.

She nodded. "I see. And neither one of you thought to use a sleep jutsu on me?" She asked this as if it were their duty to make sure she fell asleep. Like a pair of parents.

"And what makes you think we care if you're well rested?" Sasori hissed.

Deidara turned his back to the red-head and fell back out of character once again, just long enough to say, "I'll remember that next time. Un." Sakura nodded again at this odd display of kindness before falling backward onto her bed and into sleep's comforting embrace.

* * *

No Gaara in this chapter. But NEXT chapter….omg. 

**Dokami-San:** Yup. You got your answer. But no centimeter-thin scrollbar. Even this chapter isn't as long as I'd hoped it'd be. Guess that's what I get for writing it out in a notebook first, eh?


	4. Assessment

Yay more nonsense!

* * *

**Four:**_** Assessment**_

It had been ultimately the most ridiculous request of the day. Trivial in all its glory, it had no doubt been drastically over-exaggerated. All she asked for was dinner. It had taken Sakura a good twenty minutes to work up the courage and another fifteen just to get a word in edge wise. So why suddenly did she find herself dressed in an extravagant orange kimono, her hair expertly tied back, a vast feast laid before her? She tossed her gaze from the door at the back to Sasori on her right and Deidara on her left.

"What's going on!?" She asked for the umpteenth time. She was received by a silencing hiss from Deidara. Grumbling she looked about the dark room in curiosity. It only took about three glances to realize that the walls were not unoccupied. Lining both walls on either side were every single member of the working Akatsuki. She moved slowly from shock, scanning each of their faces individually. She recognized the plant and the shark, they'd been her escorts. She continued from face to face until her eyes found horror embodied. The ever-living memory of her lost teammate stood only feet from her, indifferently idle in her presence (the others seemed somewhat tense, God knows why). Unlike the others who intently watched the doors opposite the ones she'd entered from, Uchiha Itachi stared at her. His eyes, permanently dyed with the Sharingan, met her awe filled green orbs, reading her every thought and fear. This became apparent when he seemed to chuckle, closing his eyes as they moved to the adjacent doors.

Mere moments later they creaked open and the room chilled with anticipation. Sakura adjusted herself to see, only finding a candelabra in her line of sight. She pushed at it, moving it a few inches, and found at the end of the table the shadowy figure that was her father. She felt a flood of emotions, unaware of which to allow presence in the room. "Hello, Sakura." She shivered under the intensity of the moment at hand. Had he really spoken just now? "I haven't seen you in so long." Her answer wasn't as pleasing as she'd hoped. He had spoken, and he really was her father. "Have Deidara and Sasori been treating you well?"

She struggled to find words. "I…uh…you." She couldn't see, but could feel his expression become amused. "What is the meaning of this!?" She blurted, hardly realizing what she'd said.

"Your mother has apparently taught you no manners. It's impolite to answer a question with a question." Her anger at his indifference multiplied. "But I can't hold it against you, it isn't as though it's your fault."

"How dare you insult my mother!"

He sighed. "A lot of work is to be done, I see." He remained ever unemotional. Troublesome. "Your mother is an unfit parent. She taught you nothing more than nonsense." When Sakura opened her mouth to protest the light of a candle glinted in her father's eyes. She chose it unwise to speak. "You're merely living with me to learn the proprieties your mother could never teach you. To live the life you deserve." He spoke the truth, just not the _whole _truth…

"I don't kill on a whim." She felt Deidara's gaze move toward her. "I'm not ruthless."

"Such crude terms." Her father said. He picked up a glass of wine. "But we will help you to adapt."

She was not pleased with this. "How can I adapt to being evil?" The sarcasm in her voice created a newfound tension.

"If you wish to call it that….how can I say…even the purest can be tainted." He affirmed this statement as useable, nodded, then took a sip of wine elegantly.

* * *

The village seemed to have become dustier in the past ten minutes. No, not dustier. Upon close observation it was seen that a fine layer of sand was spread through the main streets of Konoha. Being as ever observant as he was, Sasuke found this odd. It was no surprise then how shocked he was to be introduced to the Kazekage upon return to the Hokage's office.

Sasuke had entered unexpectedly, his clothes changed by Tsunade's order. At the sound of the opening door the room's occupants turned to look, one being Gaara. His last memory of the redhead being a bad one, Sasuke found himself uselessly bracing himself. His eyes met aquamarine orbs, angered at their…softness?

"Ah, you're back," Tsunade said, casually glancing away from the others in the room. "I'm sure you've met Kazekage-sama?"

"Kaze…kage?" He asked, his blatant stupor making the air awkward. If you'd been here--" Naruto shivered under Tsunade's glare.

"A lot changed in your absence, Uchiha-kun." Temari pushed forward, shifting her weight under the immense fan on her back. The truthfulness of that sentence brought an awkward silence over the room. Everyone seemed to fidget uncomfortably—everyone but Gaara and Sasuke. The two remained locked in the others' eyes, no doubt replaying their violent memories of the Chuunin Exams mentally.

Gaara was the first of the two to move. His eyes closed into an exaggerated blink accompanied by the disappointed shake of his head. Gaara had just non-verbally assessed what every one of them had thought at last once: "You were such a promising nin, Sasuke. Why'd you have to go and ruin it?"

Sasuke didn't remember Gaara being so tall (somehow the factor of puberty didn't cross his mind), and his hair had gotten longer. It was strange to see him in the white and blue robes of the Kazekage, especially since he was a bloodthirsty beast. At least that's how Sasuke remembered him. The sand nin turned back to the Hokage and spoke softly, the first time Sasuke had heard his voice in years. It too, had gone through puberty, and was respectably lower. "Like I was saying," In other words, Sasuke's appearance was just an afterthought. If even that—just a hindrance, maybe? A waste of time? It was a moment before Sasuke realized they'd spoken to him.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Tsunade looked upset. Like a teacher calling a student out for not paying attention. "I said, we need to know your level of ability so we can correctly place you for this mission. You will be placed in a battle situation with the opponent of my choice." Naruto snickered. At least he'd been granted a partnership with Sakura for his fight with—"Naruto."

"What!?" The blonde shrieked. "Why not Kakashi-sensei? Ero-senin? Gaara?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kankurou finally spoke up. Until now he'd found himself 'playing' with a drawing mannequin (no doubt left by Sai). "Non of them have a grudge against Sasuke. You're the perfect opponent because of your sheer anger and readiness to put everything forward." Tsunade had been nodding in agreement the entire time, only making Naruto angrier.

Before the blond could inject his (useless) opinion Tsunade spoke. "Be at the training grounds in twenty minutes." Sasuke nodded, then left to prepare. Naruto left in a huff shortly after, mumbling something about not wanting to leave at the same time as a "depressive two-timing wanna-be shinobi". This left Gaara, Kankurou, Temari and Tsunade.

"Do you think this wise?" Gaara asked.

"Do you see a problem?" Tsunade asked, on the verge of sarcasm.

Gaara remained indifferent. "I do." Tsunade's attitude changed quickly. "Naruto could be in danger—Sasuke no doubt still has Orochimaru's curse mark. And am I wrong in saying he has yet to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

At that moment, clouds outside deprived the room of light.

The training grounds held an air of nostalgia for Sasuke. The three stumps, the river; everything brought a different memory to his mind. He was shaken from his reverie when the five others approached him. They were lead by Tsunade and, oddly enough Naruto and Gaara brought up the rear. They all stopped except Tsunade, who slowly approached the raven-haired nin. She spoke softly, a stern expression on her face. "If I even think you're trying to kill Naruto I'll--"

"Hokage-sama." Gaara's voice held warning. Tsunade understood this and stepped back.

"We will all be watching from various points around the grounds." She said, her eyes fixed on the teenager opposite where she stood. Gaara stepped forward.

"You have until tomorrow morning. Sunrise." He handed a small bell across to Sasuke. More nostalgia. "If Naruto retrieves your bell before then, it's over. And vise versa." Naruto held his bell up as proof that there was one. Gaara let a silence hang over them for a while before nodding. "Begin when you're ready." Four of the six disappeared.

Naruto's eyes locked with Sasuke's. Their once soft, innocent blue had hardened with the severity of the situation. He hadn't been present when it was discussed, but he knew the danger he was in. But, naturally, he didn't care.

"I suppose we should start?" Sasuke asked, honestly harboring no ill will.

Naruto charged. "Couldn't have said it better," Sasuke chuckled at Naruto's natural impulsive action. "myself." Naruto disappeared. Of course Sasuke was taken aback, mostly because Naruto was in mid-air, just feet in front of him, ready to fire a punch when he disappeared. But also because Naruto _disappeared._ Rather than attacking impulsively, he seemed to have a plan. The Uchiha braced himself, gripping a kunai and hunching into a defensive stance. Had he not been living with sound nin he probably wouldn't be able to do what he did next: He cancelled out every sound around him. Then, slowly, he allowed his ears to scan each individual sound as it happened. Wind through the trees…birds…_Naruto._ He spun on his heel, firing the kunai and destroying one of three Naruto clones. He lunged backward, avoiding the punch of another clone. Where he'd lunched back to, however, was the tight grip of the real Naruto, enveloping him in a fatal hug. One orange arm raised, holding a kunai at close quarters with Sasuke's neck. The other hand reached down in search of the side bag Sasuke stored the bell in. "I win."

Sasuke's chuckle pissed Naruto off. What sent him into a rage was that he was now gripping a log. "You coward!" The blonde disappeared again. The training grounds fell silent with anticipation, the two dueling nin nowhere in sight. What the four observing nin didn't realize was that Naruto and Sasuke were no locked in a replay of their battle from years ago beneath the waterfall. Only now, the stakes were much higher.

* * *

Whoooooooshortness.

Because I'm lazy I'm only going to respond to reviews that seemed the most...how would I say...helpful. Nothing personal, I'm just to lazy to sit and type out everyone's name right now.

**Aurora Marija:** How was it weird? Please, do specify your critiques. It's not helpful to me if I don't know what you're talking about.

**Dokami-san:** I've been trying to lengthen my chapters, but have been finding that difficult mostly because I write everything out first on notebook paper and find a good place to stop, then find I haven't even passed 3 pages on word. Does the shortness of my chapters take away from the story?

Don't be afraid, kids. I love constructive critisism.

To everyone else, thanks for the reviews. I'll be sure to respond individual reviews next chapter.


	5. Abduction

Sorry for the long wait. I'm lazy.

* * *

**Five: **_**Abduction**_

Sakura really hadn't expected what was to come next. It was almost infuriating, really, the nonchalant attitude of her temporary guard. Deidara and Sasori had been requested to stay back with the Leader, so, because she still could not be trusted to roam on her own, she was to be watched over by none other than Uchiha Itachi.

They walked in silence, Sakura trailing the tall man. Her walk was awkward—she wasn't used to these sandals and was still learning how to walk in them. He didn't seem to care, though, just continued forward without hesitation.

"Itachi-san?" Who knew her voice would be so…soft…during her confrontation with the man who tore Sasuke away from her.

His head only turned slightly, revealing one blood-red eye.

"I just…" She looked down at the floor. A strange fear overwhelmed her—knowledge, rather, that if she even slipped up just slightly, this man could kill her. And knowing his skill he could make it all look like an accident or a suicide. "Nevermind."

He didn't skip a beat. "Sasori and Deidara are still your guards."

Sakura had forgotten that the Sharingan allowed its user to read the thoughts of the opponent. She'd have to keep this little trait in mind. "So then…why aren't they here?"

"Leader asked them to stay behind." Itachi was probably the first Akatsuki she'd met so far that didn't use an honorific for the Leader. This thought wasn't really paid much attention, though, seeing how frustrated she was at his blunt response.

"Why were they asked to stay, though?"

Itachi's response was delayed. This did nothing for Sakura's present frustration. It was as if he was annoyed by her presence to the point where he began ignoring her. She fumed slightly at this before accepting it with a sigh. Just at the point where she figured her answer wasn't going to come, Itachi proved her wrong. "I don't know."

The silence gripped Sakura once again. It almost seemed like Itachi's very presence was choking the air out of her lungs. Inconsequentially, Sakura felt her hair slipping slightly out of the bun at the back of her head, her feet slipping around in her sandals, the obi remaining unbearably tight around her waist. Every little feeling on her body seemed to be magnified for whatever reason, as if she wanted to seem perfect for this man. He seemed perfect: skilled, handsome, elegant. It only seemed right for her to fit the bill as well.

It seemed her sandal had chosen this moment to catch a groove in the ground.

Her small foot slid forward on the wood, catching the small amount of fabric between her toes as she stumbled. She felt herself tumbling forward, her attempts at regaining balance pointless as the ground neared her quickly. She closed her eyes for impact when, suddenly, she realized she wasn't falling anymore. Her impact had been soft, and somehow had shifted to her back. The smells of mint and of sandalwood flooded into her nostrils instantly. Her hairpins had fallen out, and the intensely tight obi had loosened somewhat. She opened her eyes cautiously; finding Itachi's weren't far from them.

"Take your sandals off." He said bluntly.

Sakura blushed madly before nodding in agreement. She would've stood on her own had she not been pushed up by Itachi's arm. It was the first time she'd seen his hand, to be honest; it had been concealed within his sleeve. The moment must've seemed opportune, though, because he no sooner clicked open the first few buttons of his cloak and hung his arm limply through the opening. He watched Sakura slip the awkward sandals off, then turned and continued down the hall.

Sakura walked silently once again, letting the sandals click softly together in one hand and feeling the back of her head with the other. There were a few pins still in her hair, and she could feel them poking the back of her head annoyingly as she swept her hand over her steadily growing pink hair.

Into her mind, the image of Itachi's face had been engraved. It was…oh, the word…

Stately? No.

Strong? No…

She stared at the mental image with an intense attentiveness, searching her vocabulary for the perfect word. His eyes were large but held at an eased openness, one of indifference, and his eyelashes were long and thick and a near indescribable shade of black, accentuated amazingly by the bright red of his Sharingan. His mouth was softly curved across the lower portion of the chiseled features, just under a well proportioned (if not petite) nose. The lines betraying his age were only subtly defined in the lack of light, but were still there, and traced down his smooth cheeks from just below his thin black eyebrows (however, those were hard to point out under the mask of onyx bangs and his forehead protector). The word came to her quickly.

This man was _beautiful._

She looked up from her train of thought, staring at the ponytail waving softly to and fro across Itachi's back. That any man could seem so amazing was—she stopped herself quickly. Itachi? Amazing? No, never. She couldn't be having thoughts like that. Not at a time like this. Definitely not. Especially not when finding Sasuke was of such utter importance.

She nearly collided with Itachi, realizing quickly after that he'd come to a stop. As she neared him she could smell the strong scent of mint and sandalwood again—warm and pleasing to the mind. The only thing stopping her from closing her eyes and losing herself in the smell was the fact that the taller had turned and was now watching her.

"We've arrived." He said.

'And what do you want me to do?' it seemed like her inner self had been dormant until now. For whatever reason, it was like Itachi's presence had awakened her once again. "Alright." She said quietly. After a moment of standing in silence it became apparent that Itachi wanted her to open the door. Slightly angered by this, she pressed her hands against the wood and followed it into the pink sanctuary. She made it to the center of the room before she realized Itachi hadn't followed. She turned to see him standing silently in the doorway, watching her every move. "Is something wrong?"

"I'll enter once you've finished changing."

She started to object; there was a bathroom in her room and he could very easily enter without seeing anything, but he closed the door too quickly for her to say anything. She stood in awe for a moment before moving slowly to her closet, messing with the already loosened obi at her back as she walked. Upon reaching the doors to her closet her obi, all but the final layer of her kimono, her tabi, and her sandals had been removed. They weren't strewn around, no; they were folded respectively and set on a pile in her arms. Once at her closet, however, she found a small hamper in which she set the stack, leaving only the sandals out to be placed on the closet floor. She removed the final layer quietly, setting it into the hamper as well.

"Now…I must have some pajamas somewhere…" She picked at her bra strap uncomfortably, searching the closet for any pajamas. Why they'd be hanging she wasn't sure, but she couldn't put anything against an all-male organization. She then moved over to the dresser, where she found an array of multi-colored bras and underwear in the top drawer, some casual shirts in the second, some casual pants and skirts in the third, and, finally, pajamas in the last.

She couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated with her father. It had been explained to her earlier that this hideout was only temporary. The Akatsuki was, same as Sakura, unaccustomed to such luxurious living, In all reality, they had homes of their own on the borders of the great Shinobi countries, and only met up when extracting a Jinchuuriki or when meeting with their partners to travel. They usually bought their own food, paid for their own hotel lodging, found miniscule ways of making money; they did all the trivial things themselves. This hideout was basically a vacation resort to them.

It had also been explained that she'd be travelling with Deidara and Sasori when they finally left this hideout. So, seeing so many different clothes was a shock. A shinobi was granted one pack to carry their belongings when travelling long distances. There was no way she'd be able to fit all the clothes in both her closet and dresser into one pack. Not to mention all the essentials she'd need. If she was ever presented with the chance, she'd have to remember to ask her father why she was presented with so much pointless garb.

Realizing that Itachi was still outside, she pulled the half-open pajama drawer out all the way, digging through the pajamas to find a pair that suited her. Much to her dismay, the only things she could find were frilly little nightgowns. And by 'frilly' and 'little' one does not imply something you'd see a small child wearing. No, these were definitely intended for someone Sakura's age.

The only decent one she could find was a sleeveless pink tank-gown that extended to her upper-thigh. The end was laced with just that: a frilly pink lace, as was the top around below the thin straps. The extent of the middle was an unfitted pink fabric that wasn't as glossy as satin but wasn't as thick as flannel. It seemed her father was unaware that Sakura wasn't as girly as this outfit made her seem. And she definitely wasn't into the skimpiness of the clothing provided.

It wasn't long before she'd yanked the skimpy little thing off and flung it across the room to land wherever it would. She pulled open her shirt drawer and pulled out the largest T-shirt she could find (a large in size, though fitted). "Itachi-san, you can come in now," she yelled through the door. She wasn't too excited about showing off a good portion of her underwear to the man, but the only thing she could find in her pants drawer were jeans, jean skirts, and large, thick sweat pants that would no doubt fall off anyway due to their size.

Itachi entered, not phased at all by the exposed underwear (or so it seemed expression-wise). He stood quietly in front of the open door before closing it, then returned to his silent position in front of the tall piece of oak. Sakura stood awkwardly in front of her dresser, staring at the man standing across the room. "What?" He finally asked, despite the ability to read her thoughts on a whim.

Sakura noticed that his eyes were now the most enchanting shade of onyx. She could feel a sense of trustworthiness with the Uchiha, now, knowing that he hadn't been peeping. Or at least it seemed like it to her. The thought felt heavy on her mind, but she then figured that Itachi wasn't someone who'd do that to a complete stranger. "Nothing." She said, moving slowly over to her bed and sitting on the foot, crossing her legs and leaning her arms on her shins. Itachi found himself a chair and sat in it smoothly. Sakura found herself staring at the man, and he repaid the gesture.

"Twenty-three." He said suddenly. Sakura blushed; mere seconds ago she asked herself what age Itachi must be. She hadn't noticed, but he'd activated the Sharingan once again.

"Oh," she said meekly. "Thanks…"

The silence of the room seemed new to Sakura. She was so used to Sasori and Deidara's bickering (despite having been there for only a day and a half) that being in Itachi's presence was almost stifling. She could do nothing more than smile when the door pushed open and a familiar redhead found his way into the room. He moved over to the Uchiha and whispered something, his face decorated with it's usual angelic smile. Itachi, however, merely nodded, standing and nodding slightly to Sakura (if anything in the world could be classified as awkward). "Until next time, Sakura-san." And he was gone.

She nodded at the spot where he stood, still somewhat in awe of his amazing-ness. Sasori picked up on this, but took it for fear rather than awe. "You'll be seeing much more of him, Sakura-san." Her head snapped in his direction. "He and Kisame-san often travel with Deidara and myself."

"Why is that?" She asked, mostly to cover the strange feelings she was experiencing. "Doesn't the Akatsuki only travel in partnerships?"

"Oh, no. Most certainly not. We travel however we see fit. Some of us even live with our partners."

"Do you live with Deidara?"

"Heavens no. I have my own home." She could feel the offense he'd taken at that statement—he probably figured she thought he was unfit to live on his own.

"I see." She said, pretending to be impressed. That would no doubt make Sasori feel a little better. She stared at the puppet master for a while. The fact that he was living as a puppet, it almost made her feel a little sympathetic. No, this wasn't sympathy…awe, again? Only this awe was different. It wasn't at Sasori's features. Rather, at his intelligence. Sasori seemed to have all the answers. The brains of the Akatsuki. Or at least of those she'd met.

"Is something wrong, Sakura-san?" For the second time today she'd been called on staring. It was embarrassing, and she blushed in response.

"No, nothing."

It was strange, but a puppet suddenly appeared in Sasori's lap. As such, tools appeared in the puppet's hands and he began working on the puppet with ease, connecting the mangled pieces without hesitation.

A knock sounded pointlessly through the room. Pointlessly because, without waiting for a response, the door flew open and in waltzed Deidara, happy as always. "'Ello, Sakura-chan. Un."

"Hello, Deidara."

Moving quickly, the blonde shut the door, then occupied Itachi's spot from earlier, staring at the pink-haired kunoichi with a wide grin. "How was your dinner? You enjoyed it, I'm sure. Un."

Sakura only nodded. She wasn't sure if she'd noticed it before, but she couldn't tell from a distance what color Deidara's eyes were. The one she could see was beautiful, no doubt, but the shade of his forehead protector had shielded his eye's color. That and the bangs over the left side of his face hid any potential of figuring it out from his left eye.

Without thinking she stood and walked toward the blonde, stopping only when her toes came into contact with the toes of his sandals. Deidara's grin quickly turned into a look of surprise, then one of curiosity. Sasori stopped his motion as well, intrigued by the current situation. Sakura perched herself on her toes, bringing her face as close to Deidara's as she could—oh what tiredness could do to a sane mind. "Your eyes. They're blue."

Deidara was taken slightly aback, but quickly recovered with a slight chuckle. "Yes, thank you for noticing."

Sasori couldn't help but smile—Deidara had forgotten the 'un'.

* * *

Naruto wasn't pleased with his current situation. It was past midnight, Sasuke was no where to be found, and the challenge ended at dawn. He cursed Tsunade silently—it would've been smarter to put the two in an arena and make them fight rather than testing their chakra masking skills into all hours of the night. The fight would get nowhere if neither combatant could find the other.

He moved slowly, making sure to keep his chakra masking technique at full potential. Even one little slip-up and—

**THUMP.**

Naruto cursed himself. If that didn't give away his location, nothing would. But what was it that he'd tripped over? He looked around for the source, only to find an extended leg. A thin, female leg at that, with a tall black boot covering a good portion of the leg itself. The blonde stopped to stare, "Who are you?" He hissed, trying to keep his voice down in case Sasuke was around. He was concerned presently with this girl, but he didn't want to give up his location just yet.

The girl didn't answer, just moved slightly out of her hiding spot. "Uzumaki Naruto, I presume?"

Naruto, despite his confusion, nodded.

The question was pointless, obviously, because the girl had been watching him the whole time. He wasn't sure how he knew this, but he did. "You've made our job so much easier."

Before he could ask what she meant, a large hand cupped his mouth and another gripped him around the waist, picking him up off the ground. The girl stood, pressing her glasses up her nose. And then, what surprised him was that Sasuke appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The large hand moved as Naruto wriggled his head. "Sasuke, help!" The blonde shrieked, paying no mind to the grin on the Uchiha's face.

"Sasuke, help. Oh, help me Sasuke." The voice was different. Without a doubt it didn't belong to Sasuke. It was then that he realized his mistake. How he couldn't see it, how he missed the jutsu…this man must've been extremely talented. Sasuke's face seemed to boil as it changed form into a sharp-toothed, blue-haired head. "Sorry, no Sasuke this time."

A large hand came into contact with the back of Naruto's head and, in an instant, the world went black.

* * *

OMGLOVESQUARE.

This chapter was mostly there for as an awkward filler, as well as to introduce Sakura's upcoming dilemma.

shutupmystoryhexorz.

* * *

**geeker: **I'm glad you think the chapters are decent.

**Dokami-San: **Yeah that happens, and will probably happen a lot. I apologize in advance.

**A.D.Grey: **The chapters could be longer, in my opinion. I don't know how long this chapter is (writing this in word, btw), but hopefully it's longer.

**overlordofnobodies: **There'll be more in the Akatsuki…I'm just introducing them slowly. I'm kinda tweaking out who's alive and who isn't though, so don't rely on any set timeline.

**Aurora Marija: **Hopefully the end of this chapter cleared up any weirdness. Oh the drama to come…ahahahahahahaha I feel so evil.


	6. Departure

Longer this time maybe?

* * *

**Six: _Departure_**

Dawn crept over the training grounds and the four observers took to the center of the clearing. They were undoubtedly impressed by the chakra masking skills they'd "seen", but they were disappointed that neither combatant had shown themself.

"Naruto. Sasuke," Tsunade said, turning her head as if to scan the nearby tress. "Come out now. Your fight is over." There was a pause. No movement, no chakra signatures, nothing.

"We would be wise to assemble a second search party." Gaara said, seemingly staring off into some random area of the training ground. "I can't sense a masking technique."

"That doesn't make sense," Temari cut in. "We've been watching the entire time. There's no way either one of them could've run away."

Gaara shook his head. Minutes after, a small eye appeared out of a bush nearby, floating toward the Kazekage before falling into a pile of sand. "I thought I'd sensed two other chakras, but I figured they were just a pair of Konoha nin looking for an open training ground—they disappeared shortly after arriving." Tsunade shook her head angrily. Had a tree been nearby her fist undoubtedly would've been through it.

"Would you like us to inform the others?" Kankurou asked cautiously.

"No, we'll all go together." She answered, fuming. Gaara, however, nodded to his siblings. Probably something of a "we'll catch up". They nodded back, then disappeared.

"Do you think Sasuke plans to kill Naruto?" He asked, taking a wary step toward the Hokage.

"No, he doesn't want to stoop that low," she said, turning toward her adversary. "He's using Naruto as bait."

* * *

When Sakura woke that morning she found herself in quite the awkward situation. She didn't have to sit up to know there was another presence in the room the steady breathing was a dead give-away. Also the fact that a blonde clump of hair had found its way onto the bed next to her served as a clue. Apparently Deidara had fallen asleep with his back against the side of her bed the previous night. Asking how he got there would've been pointless, she knew full well how.

"_Deidara?"_

"_Hm?" He stood over a chair where minutes ago he'd dropped his Akatsuki robe. He'd exposed the typical wear of an off-duty Akatsuki—a short-sleeved black shirt over a three-quarter sleeved fishnet top, black pants, tall white socks and a pair of black sandals._

_Sakura thought over her question long and hard. She finally came to the conclusion that her previous question wasn't a wise one and figured it'd be best to ask something trivial. "You're from Iwagakure, right?"_

"_Yes." The blonde hesitantly moved to the side of the bed and sat on the floor facing the pink-haired kunoichi. Sasori had long since retired to his room, so Deidara's natural defiance toward reason had calmed respectably. _

"_So, do you live near there?"_

"_Yes."_

_Sakura nodded. "The best hiding place is directly under the opponent's nose…"_

_Deidara laughed wildly. "You truly are a clever one, Sakura-chan!" He laughed again, but calmer. "Very clever. Un."_

_The room calmed for a moment before Sakura pressed on. "Where do you live, then?"_

_Deidara wasted no time in answering. He was obviously comfortable with Sakura's presence. "I live in the dead center of a forest. It's near Cloud, but is between Cloud and Stone. Un."_

"_So you do live near Stone then?" Sakura asked, slightly confused._

"_Only because those countries are at war." Sakura was now more confused than ever. Deliberately putting himself in the center of a war? He noticed the confusion in her eyes and chose to explain. "I live between to small villages. One is from Cloud and one is from Stone,"_

"_So you live on the border?"_

_Deidara nodded slightly, but continued. "Because the countries are at war, I can enter either village without worry. In fact, I could control either if I so wished it. Because apprehending me would cause a fluctuation in either army—one or two men wouldn't be enough to hold me in," this point made him laugh. "Neither village will turn me in. They're too set on winning the war to weaken their army over an Akatsuki. Un."_

_The room fell silent for a moment, the two staring silently at each other. Eventually the awkwardness became too tense and Deidara faked a cough, using the opportunity to look away. Sakura didn't enjoy the silence, though. "Can I see your left eye?"_

_Deidara seemed taken aback. "Why would you ask that?"_

"_There must be a reason you've always got it covered up." Deidara was hesitant. Sakura felt a pang of guilt, but it wavered as Deidara moved his long blonde bang and gripped at the scope, holding his finger over the edge tenderly before pulling the metal from his skin._

_Shock overwhelmed Sakura when the scope was completely removed. Unlike the right eye, Deidara's left eye was a dark shade of gold. There didn't appear to be any shine to it, though that was to be understood—the eye itself was foggy, but it had also been shaded by Deidara's hair. The eye seemed stationary and hesitant toward motion._

_Sakura's voice choked out before she realized what was happening. "Can you see?"_

_Deidara smiled, although weakly. "Of course. Just not as well. That's why I have the scope. Un." _

_Sakura nodded understandingly, though still in awe. She leaned forward and reached out, tracing her finger along the faintly tanned outline of where the scope had been. She opened her mouth to ask how this had happened, but no words escaped. Finally she withdrew, using her arm to support her on her side. Deidara, however, followed her hand, turning his back against the side of the bed. They both sighed in unison, closing their eyes as they did so._

"_Goodnight, Deidara."_

_There was a pause._

"_Goodnight, Sakura-chan."_

She stared for another moment at the gold hair, fighting the urge to reach out and feel it. Deidara seemed to care for his hair more than anyone. Aside from herself, obviously. But whatever the case, it looked magnificently soft. She held her hand back, not realizing it was in mid-air mere inches from the long blonde locks.

"Goodmorning, Sakura-chan."

Her hand retracted quickly. "Goodmorning, Deidara."

"I apologize," he pushed himself forward, standing and brushing himself off. "I didn't mean to fall asleep in here. Un." He smiled at her before moving toward the chair his cloak occupied.

Sakura sat upright. "I…I didn't mind." She returned the smile, though she wasn't sure if he saw it. She lifted the covers and turned her legs from the bed, letting her feet adjust to the carpet before standing. She could still feel Deidara's warmth soaked into the thick maroon fabric beneath her toes and wished she could leave her feet there longer. She stretched, scratched her messed hair, then made her way to the closet.

"We're leaving today," Deidara said. Sakura stopped mid-step. "Leader-sama says good morning, too. Un."

Sakura figured it might be best not to ask but didn't rule anything out.

Deidara didn't skip a beat. "Telepathy," he responded to Sakura's blatant confusion. She nodded, still not completely understanding.

She grabbed some clothes out of the closet and moved toward the bathroom. "When should I be ready?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Anytime, un," was her answer.

She turned her back on the blonde completely as she entered the bathroom. They seemed to think of her as trustworthy. A risky conclusion to jump to.

* * *

It wasn't long before Naruto came to. He had help; there was an incessant drop of ice-cold water landing on the side of his face. As he opened his eyes he saw a dark, moldy wall a ways away, a few pairs of broken and rusted shackles, and bones. Lots of bones. He pushed himself up and looked around. There were three solid walls to his front and sides, but when he turned around he saw tall iron bars. Realizing he had no bindings on his legs he stood, moving cautiously to the bars and peering out.

"Oh-ho! You're awake!" Naruto recognized the voice. It was shortly followed by that annoying slurping sound you only hear when there's nothing left in the cup, but the holder insists upon sucking air through the straw. Naruto's eyes shot around the hallway through the bars, but he didn't see anyone. It was then that he realized the drip was gone. He spun on his heels to see a large iridescent pool of water. For one thing, water usually wasn't multiple colors. For another, it didn't usually grow a head.

"What in hell…?"

The head began laughing. "My name is Suigetsu. It's nice to finally meet you, Naruto." He grew taller until the entirety of the puddle was gone. "Well, meet you without hiding behind Sasuke."

Naruto muttered, "Bastard."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Suigetsu started to laugh, only to be interrupted. "Shut up you lazy ass." It was a woman's voice this time. Another recognizable voice.

"I woke him up, didn't I?" Suigetsu said defensively.

"Oh, such a hard worker." The woman appeared, standing in front of the iron bars and oh-so-subtly flaunting herself. Upon seeing Naruto she grinned. "Hello." Naruto said nothing. She, apparently, didn't like this. However she didn't make an effort to change it—she offered no introduction or any other form of small talk.

Instead she waved her hand and, to Naruto's surprise, a well-hidden door in the wall to his left opened and a frighteningly large man entered. He stood silently for a moment, staring at Naruto. After a while Suigetsu apparently became stir crazy and the tall man took hold of Naruto's hands, tying them behind his back. The blonde saw no reason to struggle, he was obviously out ranked in power and in numbers. He just followed the large man out of the cell where he was then pushed past the other two.

He stopped and looked at the woman who grinned, obviously expecting him to lead. When he went no where she motioned with her hand again and the tall man took a hold of the bindings and pushed Naruto rather roughly down the hallway.

The woman spoke again. "You don't talk much, do you?"

He laughed. "No, not to people who knock me out and lock me up."

"It's understandable." She said, giggling. Naruto didn't even know her and he could figure that was out of her character.

They walked for a while longer, Naruto hunched over from the large man gripping his bound arms, the woman walking deliberately to his right, and Suigetsu mumbling about needing something to drink. They seemed to walk forever past rows and rows of cages much like the one he'd just been locked in before Naruto could make out a pair of doors just ahead. Asking where they were going would've been stupid. The chakra signature radiating through the doors was unmistakable. How he'd confused that with the puny one of Suigetsu he'd never know.

As they passed through the doors anger overwhelmed the blonde. "Hello, Naruto."

"Hello, Bastard." He spat back. On any other terms he would've been at least a little civil toward his old friend, but after the stunt they'd all pulled he didn't think it was deserved.

Sasuke turned from the tapestry he was examining on the other end of the room so he could more properly face his rival. "Such a way to speak to an old teammate." Naruto said nothing to this. Just growled. This earned him a shove from the large man, reducing his stance to a crouched position on his knees.

"So are we leaving today, Sasuke-kun?" The woman asked.

Sasuke paid her no response.

The room was silent for a moment. Sasuke's cold black eyes locked with Naruto's bright blue eyes and they remained there, unmoving. Finally, Naruto spoke. Or, spat, rather. The lump of saliva and mucus landed mere feet in front of the rogue nin. However, Sasuke didn't move once to even glance at it. "What's wrong with you? What did Konoha ever do to make you hate us so much?"

Sasuke laughed lightly. "Konoha is weak. It always has been. I needed power and they couldn't give it to me."

"So you betrayed us and went to that snake?"

"I killed him."

Being his naturally dense self, Naruto had not heard of this. He stared in shock at the raven-haired boy before him, slightly confused. "You'd kill so ruthlessly, just to gain power?" Sasuke had no response. "So, do you plan to kill me?" Still nothing. No physical response, either. "You'll get the Mangekyou, right? The one thing you need to kill Itachi?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak.

"Spare me," Naruto said with a laugh. "'I don't want to stoop to his level'. That's what you're gonna say, right?" Sasuke seemed slightly angered, but he masked that quickly. "If you ask me, you're no better than him."

Sasuke's lips pressed into a thin line. "I should kill you now." Naruto saw the pale hand of his adversary move slightly, tracing the engravings on the hilt of his katana. It paused at the end, contemplating killing the loud-mouthed Konoha nin, but moved slowly to Sasuke's side as the rogue-nin moved closer to his rival. He knelt onto one knee, matching eye level with the blonde. "But I still need you."

* * *

**SpeedDemon315: **Um…maybe. Kekekekeke.

**A.D.Grey: **Yeah I kinda made you wait, ne? Sorry. I'm working with Dobe-chan The Crazy on fixing some of her stories, so I'm kinda sidetracked.

**Dokami-San:** Uh…yeah. Let's go with that. Kekekekekeke.


End file.
